INTRODUCTION: 
   This is Stan Bones with the backcountry avalanche advisory issued at
   5:30 AM by the U.S. Forest Service Glacier Country Avalanche Center on
   Tuesday, February 12, 2008, for the Glacier Park and Flathead and
   Kootenai National Forest areas.

                              HAZARD ANALYSIS

   Between 5,500' and 7,500' elevation the avalanche danger is currently
   rated CONSIDERABLE on slopes that have recently received significant
   deposits of either precipitated or wind deposited snow.  On those
   slopes that have received lesser snow amounts the danger is rated
   MODERATE.  Below 5,500' we're rating the avalanche danger LOW.
   These danger ratings expire at midnight Tuesday, February 12th. The
   outlook is for the avalanche danger to remain near current levels
   through Thursday.
   Because of the general nature of this advisory message, each
   backcountry party will always need to make their own time and site
   specific avalanche hazard evaluations.

   WEATHER ANALYSIS: 
   Over the last week many mountain locations across Northwestern Montana
   received significant amounts of new snowfall, often accompanied by
   strong SW to NW winds.  The most favored areas with new snowfall were
   the mtns. on the Kootenai and those in Glacier Park.  Poorman Cr. in
   the East Cabinets and Flattop near the interior of Glacier registered
   6-7" of snow water equivalent over the 6-days of Tuesday through
   Sunday.  In contrast the least favored mtns., those around the
   Flathead Valley near the center of the region, received only a third
   of that amount.

   Tuesday through Friday of last week mtn. temperatures were
   consistently holding in the upper teens and lower 20's F as they
   fluctuated back and forth between daytime highs and nighttime lows.  A
   warm, more direct flow of Pacific air Saturday and Sunday however,
   pushed temps upward to near or slightly above freezing.  Sunday night
   and Monday, temp readings dropped back into the upper 20's.

    For much of the past week winds have been significant and often
   gusty, blowing from a W'erly direction.


   SNOWPACK ANALYSIS: 
   Our backcountry observations Monday were on Peters Ridge in the north
   Swan Range, NE of Bigfork, and on Elk Mtn. W of Maria Pass on Highway
   2.  We had a report on Saturday from near Nyack Mtn. in the Middle
   Fork.

   In our snowpits and observations we are seeing instability associated
   with wind loading and with the relatively dense and warm, newly fallen
   surface snow.  Coming out of last week's cool conditions, Saturday and
   Sunday's warming and new snowloading produced some surface slabbing.
   Captured beneath these surface slabs we're often finding colder, less
   dense snow.  Although shear failures here are occurring with little
   quality they are failing relatively easily.

   We are also seeing instability associated with wind loading.  In the
   wind favored areas there has been and continues to be a tremendous
   amount of wind transport and redeposit occurring.  Shear tests of
   these wind deposited layers are often failing cleanily and with
   elastic energy on old buried wind crusts.

   AVALANCHE - INSTABILITY DESCRIPTION:
   We're currently rating the avalanche danger between the elevations of
   5,500 and 7,500' as CONSIDERABLE on steep, open slopes with
   significant deposits of either precipitated or wind deposited snow.
   These are most likely occurring on the Kootenai, in the N'ern
   Whitefish Range, in the mtns. of Glacier Park, in the Flathead Range,
   and in the S'ern Swan and Mission Ranges.  Unstable wind and newly
   fallen surface slab layers are probable on steep terrain. Natural
   avalanches are possible, while human triggered avalanches are
   probable. Backcountry travelers should be very cautious in steeper
   terrain. Be particularly aware of potentially dangerous areas of
   unstable wind loaded snow.  Safest travel is on windward ridges or on
   lower angle slopes without steeper terrain above.

   Elsewhere around the region between the elevations of 5,500 and
   7,500', the avalanche danger is rated MODERATE.  Unstable slab layers
   are possible on steep terrain. Natural avalanches are unlikely, while
   human triggered avalanches are possible. Backcountry travelers should
   use caution in steep, open terrain, especially wind loaded aspects.

   Below 5,500 ft. elevation we're rating the avalanche danger as LOW.  A
   warm, more shallow snow there is often anchored by vegetation and
   terrain features and generally stable with only isolated areas of
   instability.  Natural avalanches are very unlikely, while human
   triggered avalanches are unlikely.  Backcountry travel is generally
   safe, but normal caution is still advised on any steep, open slope.

   WEATHER FORECAST & AVALANCHE OUTLOOK:

   
   The weather forecast is for another Pacific weather system to move
   into the region Tuesday night and Wednesday.  Daytime temps are
   expected to remain mild in the upper 20's and low 30's.  3-6" of new
   snow both Tuesday night and Wednesday are likely, while SW winds are
   predicted to remain strong blowing 20+ MPH.  These conditions are
   likely to maintain the avalanche danger near current levels through
   Thursday.
   The next regularly scheduled update of this advisory message will be
   Friday, February 15th.